Leclerc remains loyal but is facing a career crisis - Danner

      "Leclerc is smart and maintains a composed, analytical demeanor."

      Ferrari's attention this season has frequently been on Lewis Hamilton's challenging transition, while Christian Danner suggests that the team's consistently top performer, Charles Leclerc, could be experiencing a career crisis of his own. Danner, a former Formula 1 driver and now a German television commentator, shared with motorsport-magazin.com: "Certainly, Leclerc is contemplating whether his career as a driver and his journey at Ferrari will lead him to his ultimate goal: the championship. He is undoubtedly questioning that. I believe he has also asked himself this year: my goodness, what am I even doing here? Is this going to lead to nothing again?"

      The Monegasque has often displayed clear frustration, yet he remains committed to Ferrari, as the Italian team appears poised to finish the season in second place, watching another title opportunity slip away. "Leclerc is smart and has a calm, analytical nature," Danner remarked. "What other options are there? Well, potentially Mercedes under certain conditions. What Russell can accomplish, Leclerc is also capable of."

      "Red Bull is currently facing a significant technical setback, and of course, he would have to contend with Max Verstappen, at least in the near term. At McLaren, it’s evident that many would like to join there, but is he actually needed? I would say no. This means there aren't many alternatives. Leclerc should concentrate on what he currently has."

      After securing pole position in Hungary, Leclerc acknowledged that a race victory in 2025 seems unlikely. "At the moment, I don’t believe there's a single track where we see ourselves as stronger than McLaren," he stated. "For now, I don’t anticipate any tracks where I think we will be the favorites, but I hope to be pleasantly surprised."

      There are also indications that Ferrari might benefit from finishing third this season to gain additional wind tunnel time for the 2026 regulations overhaul. However, Leclerc insists he doesn’t approach racing this way. "I’m pretty sure it’s better to finish second than third," he emphasized.

      "Nevertheless, as you mentioned, there is the wind tunnel time aspect. This isn't something we dwell on too much. When we’re on the track, our primary goal is to finish as high as possible, and then we'll handle the wind tunnel hours we have afterwards. We aim for the highest position possible. Second place in the constructors’ championship is one of our objectives, but the main goal is to return to winning races as soon as we can. Regardless of our final position, we'll build from there and assess how many hours we’ll have for next year."